It's the Simple Things
by Ravenz Blade
Summary: Another challenge taken from Quizilla featuring the ever adorable tsundere Arthur Kirkland aka England. Credit to whoever started this challenge. Enjoy!
1. A Phone Call

Everything was wrong, just all wrong.

It was pouring rain with no end in sight.

Work was hell, my boss micromanaging and scrutinizing every little thing I did.

Family members were being overbearing when everyone decided to gang up to scream at me.

I had missed the train, forced to wait in the cold weather for more than half an hour for the next one.

Even after a long hot shower after fumbling at the door for fifteen minutes looking for my keys, my mood was no better. Tears pooled at the corner of my eyes, burning them as they threaten to fall.

I was just staring at the ceiling in just an oversized buttons down with my phone rang.

"What?"

My voice barely travelled past my lips.

I was so tired.

I was numbing.

"Bloody hell. What got your knickers in a twist? Is that any way to speak to your boyfriend?"

I sighed. As much as I love Arthur, I was in no mood to deal with his tsundere personality.

"England, not now."

I didn't hear him say anything.

"I love you Arthur. I'll call you later."

With that I hung up. Though the conversation was short, my heart lifted a little despite my sour mood. Even being stuck in those world meetings, he still managed to find a bit of time to call me.


	2. A Scarf

"I wonder about you sometimes."

The blonde beside me sneezed violently, sniffing as he pulled his jacket closer to his body.

"What are you going on about now?"

I shook my head, my mood no better than it was earlier this week. My boyfriend's biting remarks did not help.

Arthur blew hot air over his frozen hands in an attempt to warm them. Only he would venture out in the middle of winter in just a regular jacket in place of a winter coat.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about? Honestly, you – "

Arthur stopped in mid sentence when I slid off my black scarf and carefully wrapped it carefully around his neck. It only took a bit of fixing but it would ward away the cold that seem to permeate everything. A quick rummage through my black tote and I fished out a pair of men's gloves, shoving it into Arthur's hands.

"I what? Please finish that sentence, England."

His face flushed with embarrassment and frustration. He knew I was irritated when I called him by his country's name. I quirked an eyebrow, waiting patiently for his response.

"Che."

He hastily yanked his gloves on before they encased around my own.

"I'm such a bloody git."

I don't think he meant for me to hear but I did.

"Glad you realized."


	3. A Flower

England missed it dearly.

It had been days since he saw that beautiful smile on his precious Julianne's face.

And he hadn't a clue why.

She wasn't short with him, didn't lecture him more than usual.

So what was it?

Had he done something wrong?

Was she tired of him?

The blonde frowned, resting his head against his forearms on the table while his mind continued to contemplate. On the other side of the room, both France and America stared at their ally with curiosity. England was never this quiet, especially when America was spouting some hero nonsense as usual. Before the two could approach, rather interrogate him, the blonde stated he had a headache and promptly left the meeting.

England hoped this would work. With a sweaty palm, he rung the doorbell.

In mere seconds, the door swung open and the apathetic expression of his girlfriend greeted him.

"_Arthur_? This is a surprise."

His eye twitched. What was it with her face? Was she not happy to see him?

"Here, I got this for you," England mumbled, holding a pink and white tulip for her to take, "They didn't have roses at the shop."

Slowly, as though her mind couldn't process what he just said, she took the tulip into her hand. They weren't exactly her favorite flower but she vaguely remembered France and his brief crash course on the meanings of flowers.

Tulips meant…a declaration of love.

But she doubt Arthur knew that. Despite him not knowing, she could feel her heart warming ever so slightly.

England shuffled anxiously. Did she not like it?

"If you don't like it, just give it back. I'll get you another one."

Julianne shook her head as a small smile graced her lips. Arthur stared, unable to believe that his plan was a success.

"Thank you Arthur. It means a lot to me," she said, leaning in and pecking him softly on the lips, "Want to come in for some tea?"

It took England a bit of time to respond as he was still reliving her smile that would be added to his mental collection.

"I'd love a spot of tea."


	4. A Laugh

It was another one of those days. I finished up the last of my caffeine and sugar saturated drink before tossing it into the nearby trashcan.

Arthur had asked me to meet up with him for lunch in between his meetings. The problem now was to find him in this massive building.

"Julianne-san, you look lost. Are you looking for England?"

The tall blonde stared down at me impassively but I knew better than to be scared off. Past experience taught me he really was a softie inside.

"Hi Doitsu-san. Yeah I'm looking for Arthur. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Ja. He's in that conference room over there."

"Arigato gozaimasu Doitsu-san," I murmured, bowed, and headed towards the conference room he pointed to.

I knocked once but no one answered so I opened the door ever so slowly. Though I should've gotten used it to by now, the sight still send me into a fit of laughter.

Arthur was smiling and chuckling, making weird motions with his hands and talking to beings that either weren't there or I just couldn't see. He never knew I had seen this side of him before and before I could close the door, I burst out laughing.

"J-Julianne! When did you get here?"

I couldn't even answer as I doubled over laughing.

"O-Oi! Julianne! It's not bloody funny!"

Arthur's face burned with embarrassment until I managed to keep my laughter under control.

"Oh, I needed that," I managed to say while random bursts of laughter continued to escape. Despite my laughing at him, Arthur extended a hand and helped me up.

"Were you talking to your friends again?"

"You aren't going to poke fun at me?"

I shook my head and his fingers tightened around mine.

"My boyfriend and his colleagues are materializations of countries all around the world. There's nothing stranger than that. Besides, so what if you have friends no one else can see?"

Arthur sighed in relief.

"At least you're not trying to put me in an asylum," he muttered, "Yet."

I shook my head and leaned up to peck his forehead softly.

"Never. C'mon, _love_, I'm starving."

Arthur just blushed adorably while I dragged him out of the conference room.


	5. A Hum

The meeting had ended early so England decided to take a small detour to his girlfriend's loft. With his copy of the key in hand, the blonde made his way into the apartment.

A rare smile played upon his lips. Humming softly to the Titantic theme song, Julianne was gliding around the place in a simple pair of dark sweats and a tank top while cleaning up.

England's smile turned into a small smirk when Julianne realized he was standing by her door. Her face flushed a little from surprise.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough, love."

She shook her head and walked over to the bookshelf, placing the albums and novels where they belonged. Without bothering to ask for permission, England slipped off his shoes and walked over to her radio, her iPod seated comfortably on top of it. After much searching, he found the song he was looking for.

A familiar tune permeated the usually silent loft and Julianne quirked an eyebrow at her boyfriend and his strange behavior.

England held his hand out.

"Would the lady care to dance?"

Julianne shook her head again, not in the mood for his antics but gave in anyways. His warm hand enclosed around hers and held it close to his heart, the other curled around her waist firmly. Her hand rested gently on his upper arm, her head against his collarbone. Tension building from the last few weeks or so began to slow fade as the two swayed to the instrumental music.

Even after the song ended, England held her close. Something was bothering Julianne for a bit and it was starting to worry the blonde. Gone was her energy and the feistiness he had come to love.

"What's wrong, love?"

Julianne didn't answer right away and England never expected her to but she didn't pull away. She finally looked up and felt her heart break at the concern in those bright green eyes. She shook her head for the third time that afternoon and tried to smile.

"I'm just really worn out is all, Arthur. I'll be fine."

"Is it that bloody git of a boss of yours? Want me to have a word with that bastard?"

Julianne laughed and smiled, pulling her hand out of his in favor of wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck. She had a side thought. For someone who claimed to be a gentleman, he sure cursed a lot.

"No!" she laughed some more, "Knowing you, you'll probably curse him and end up sending Ivan after him. It's fine. I just have to deal with it until his transfer at the end of the month."

England frowned. Still, 17 days was a lot to tolerate a bastard.

"Thank you for caring Arthur," she murmured, leaning up and kissed him gently, her lips lingering a bit longer than usual, "I love you."

His face tinged red from Julianne's quiet declaration. Despite her saying those words to him almost every time they were in each other's company, it still flustered him. He buried his face into her neck surprisingly, wanting to hide the heat on his cheeks.

"_I love you too, darling_."


	6. A Moment of Holding Hands

After their little dance in her living room, England quickly shed his green uniform jacket, earning a small scowl from his girlfriend. He knew she wasn't that mad considering she didn't slap him upside the head and order him to put it in the closet like everyone else.

As the blonde got comfortable, Julianne set a cup of steaming tea on the coffee table in front of him before darting away to finish the rest of her chores around the house. Of course, England took no offense. He brought the cup to his face and breathed in deep the scent of the black tea. Somehow, it just smelled better when she made it.

An hour into channel surfing passed before Julianne joined England on the couch. Her hair had been pulled into a messy bun and the blonde was tempted to lecture her on her bad posture. Despite the smile and joy she expressed earlier, he could tell the demons that plagued her mind and fed off her worries returned.

She took a hearty gulp from her bottle of soda before turning to the blonde.

"What would you like to do, Arthur?"

She needed to relax. England knew that.

"Why don't we just sit back and watch a movie, love? You choose."

A small smile crossed her lips and he knew he was in trouble. With a grin, she leaned over to the laptop that sat on the coffee table and went through her vast (ahem illegal) collection of movies. With a simple click and the help of a certain cable, the movie began to play on the TV screen.

"_Tangled?_ Are you bloody serious?"

Julianne stuck her tongue out playfully at the Brit.

"You told me to choose."

England sighed and laid back on the couch, resting his feet on the opposite arms of the couch.

"Come on now. Are you waiting for an invitation?"

Julianne smiled and joined her boyfriend. She laid on him, head on his chest while his arm rested comfortably across her back. Her hand slid into his, fingers intertwining. It felt nice, the way his callous fingers from centuries of fighting gently brushed against the back of her hand. It was a comfort she relished and needed. He was her serenity in the midst of chaos though she doubted that sometimes with that short temper of his.

England bit back a snarky remark, how she chose the bloody movie and now she wasn't even watching it because she was too engrossed with his hand. She would pull her hand from his, trace the calluses from years of battles on his fingers and palm before intertwining them once more. She did this several times and England didn't mind. It was soothing for him as well, though he'd never admit it. A content smile lit up her face when his other hand dipped a bit lower, to a span of bare skin where it wandered a bit, leaving traces of heat in its wake.

The two would agree without words, that this moment was absolutely perfect.


	7. A Whisper

England knew that Julianne had fallen asleep the moment her hand became limp in his and her breathing evened out. He didn't even bother reaching over to turn off the movie. She probably would've woken up if he did.

The blonde could still remember a time before Julianne entered his life.

Everyday was miserable for him.

He had grown weak over the centuries.

He longed for the days when the sun never set on the British Empire and for the days when America was still a newborn.

But obviously, those glory days have come and gone.

It was only on a rather distressing and rainy day did the Brit bump into Julianne on the street. She was soaked to the bone he remembered and in his haste, accidentally bumped into her. Of course, being the tsundere he was, he practically bit her head off. To his surprise, Julianne had turned around and promptly told him to fuck off. Imagine his surprise when she knew America of all people. After a few more heated exchanges, the Brit begrudgingly offered to take her out for coffee as an apology for his rather ungentlemanly like behavior. He would never thought they were end up like this in a few short months.

England shifted a little to get more comfortable.

"Don't ever leave me, love," he whispered.


	8. A Taste

"Oh love, there you are."

England actually sounded cheerful…and America was still in one piece.

A bad feeling settled in my stomach.

And several seconds later, I realized why.

There in the doorway, in a rather feminine white apron was Arthur and in his hands was a cookie tray of what looked like scones. I mean they looked perfectly fine but I heard rumors about his cooking.

"Go on. Have a taste."

Oh that bad feeling just got worse and warning bells were going off in my head. The blonde held out the tray with a hopeful expression.

"Uhh…"

"What are you waiting for? Want me to feed you?"

I quickly shook my head, hesitantly taking one of the "scones." It even smelled weird. I took one more look at Arthur and I hope he realized how much I loved him.

And with that, I signed my death warrant.

Extended Ending

Oh god, I'm going to die.

Once more I leaned over the bowl and hurled up whatever was left in my stomach.

"So…it tasted…awful."

I barely saw Arthur in the doorway. My stomach was twisting with pain.

Oh god.


	9. A BandAid

"One of these days, I swear, I'm going to kill that wine bastard! I'm going to get that bloody wanker!"

I listened quietly as England continued to rant about his eternal rival, France. Apparently, they got into a fight about something and once again, it turned physical. Kneeling in front of the blonde Brit, I continued to listen to his insane rants while I tended to the cuts and nicks he got from the fight.

"Bloody hell, Julianne! That fucking hurts!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Then stop getting into fights with Francis."

"He bloody well started it!"

I just shook my head, knowing better than to lecture him some more. It was rather pointless. After placing the last band-aid on his injured fngers, I brought his hand to my lips and gave him a soft kiss.

"W-W-What are you doing?"

He quickly pulled his hand back, I bet, from embarrassment.

"Whenever I got hurt, my mom used to fix me up and kiss my pain away," I explained softly.

"Oh," Arthur cleared his throat, "Well, your mum's got the right idea then."

I smiled a little as Arthur looked away with an embarrassed expression.

"Good."


	10. A TextEmail

My expression dropped as my supervisor continued to spit out what exactly I was doing wrong now. He was nitpicking and I knew this since my actual bosses, the ones above him, complimented me on my work thus far.

After he was done, he stormed away and my cubicle mate walked over and draped an arm over my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Just ignore him. We know he got a fucking stick up his ass."

I simply shrugged off his arm and went back to work. I was just halfway done with my workload when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket.

_Meet me out front when you're off work, love._

Arthur always had good timing. With new motivation, I hurried to finish my work.

When five o'clock came around, I already had all my things packed and work done and hurried out the doors. To my surprise, Arthur was already waiting outside. Normally, he was always a few minutes late. Without any regard the people around us, I dove into his arms and relished the sweet sanctuary his embrace gave me.

"O-Oi, what's wrong? Was it that bloody git of a boss? Blimey, you should've let me talk to him Julianne."

As Arthur continued to ramble on, I just smiled into his shirt and tightened my hold.


	11. A Tickle

It may seem rather boring but England rather enjoyed these peaceful moments with Julianne, considering he spent a good portion of his day arguing with his former charge and his eternal rival.

Besides, it looked like once again, his beloved Julianne needed some cheering up.

Without much warning, the blonde hoisted the woman onto her kitchen counter, his hands running slowly up and down her sides. She squirmed, demanding he stop but England continued his ministrations with a devilish smirk.

"Ar-Arthur, haha s-s-stop!"

"Hmm? What was that? I don't believe I heard you properly, love."

Unable to help herself, Julianne broke into a fit of giggles while trying to ward his hands away.

"Arthur! Stop!" she laughed, "It tickles!"

Only when she was out of breath did the blonde stop. Breathless, she still continued to laugh and writhed from the aftermath of his tickling fingers. She draped her arms over his shoulders and dove in for a kiss. Her lips lingered on his before Julianne surprised him with a slight probe of her tongue.

Naturally, the blonde ardently returned the favor.


	12. A Song

"I don't really want to."

"Oh c'mon, Arthur," I pleaded softly, "Francis told me you used to be a rock star."

"I'm going to kill that bloody frog."

Arthur continued to frown. I stuck out my bottom lip but he wouldn't budge.

"Please, Arthur? Just one song?"

Arthur stared at me for one more moment before releasing a frustrating grunt. Rising from his seat, he walked into the hallway only to reappear ten minutes later. In his hands was a guitar case but he didn't look too happy. I didn't care too much. I was too excited to hear him play as I took a seat beside him, practically trembling from anticipation.

After tuning the red and black electric guitar, he shot me an apprehensive look before strumming.

I could barely keep the grin off my face as he began to sing as well.


	13. A Bottle of Wine

"Ah, mon cherie, how long as it been since we last seen each other?" Francis purred, taking my hand into his and kissing the back of it.

"Too long. How have you been Francis?"

"Good good. Ah, mon cherie, perhaps you can visit me in Paris one day."

It was already blatantly obvious the blonde had ulterior motives and Arthur was already pissed Francis was still holding my hand. I could see him seething behind the Frenchman.

"That sounds fun, Francis. Maybe Arthur and I could take a small vacation there."

"Hmm, maybe you could leave that punk behind. I can show you amazing time around town mademoi – AH!"

I blinked as Francis collapsed onto the ground in front of me, shards of glass glinting from his hair and clothes. Arthur scoffed, tossing the other end of a wine bottle over his shoulder before reaching for my hand.

"I told that bloody wanker to keep his hands off you, that dirty pervert," he muttered under his breath as he led me away.

Half of me wondered if Francis was going to be okay.

The other half of me couldn't help but think Arthur was rather cute when he was jealous.


	14. A Photograph

England sighed, irritation clearly emanating from him.

Why on the Earth did they have to have the G8 meeting in Russia of all places?

His callous fingers played with his cell phone, blatantly tuning out another of America's rants. For the last half hour, he played with the idea of calling Julianne but since it was a Saturday, he didn't doubt she was sleeping in. The blonde would have felt horrible waking her just because of his selfish wish to hear her voice.

England sighed.

It had only been a week and the blonde was already homesick, yearning for the soft touch of his beloved. How was he going to survive another three weeks?

Finally, England decided to call Julianne after his meeting. He only hoped that it wouldn't take this long. He already couldn't stand more than half the members of this group. As he placed his phone back into an inside pocket of his military jacket, the brush of paper startled him. As far as he knew, he hadn't put anything in that pocket.

It was a photograph.

He remembered when this was taken. It was an outing they took with Italy and Japan. On Italy's insistence, he sat for a picture with Julianne. She had draped her arms over his shoulders, her head resting against his and she was smiling. He, on the other hand, was scowling and looking away. In hindsight, he wished he tried to look decent when Japan snapped the shot. As far as he knew, they never had a good picture together, mostly because of him and his tsundere personality.

He flipped the photograph over.

_Miss you already_

_3_

_Julianne_

His face flushed from embarrassment and he quickly stowed away the photograph from wandering eyes. Taking out his phone once more, he stealthily sent a quick text to Julianne before Germany could lecture him on not paying attention.

_Miss you too, love_


	15. A Touch

The last three weeks felt like centuries. The blonde didn't even bothered saying his farewells to his fellow nations before jumping into the car and speeding off. Safe to say, he probably broke every traffic rule known to man. Italy would be insanely proud of him.

After many near car accidents, England finally pulled up to his manor, almost stumbling out of the car in his rush. There was she was, standing on the top of his front steps waiting for him in a simple white strapless embroidered dress with a pair of dark cowboy boots. Unable to stop himself, England stared for a moment. She looked like angel.

"Are you just going to stare?"

England snapped out of it and walked over, his arms quickly curling around her waist before spinning her around.

"Arthur!" she cried out, "Arthur! My dress!"

With a very un-Arthur like smile, he set her down, his arms still trapping her against him. She smiled and reached up, burying her hands in the blonde's hair. Almost instantly, England could see her eyes lighting up.

He dipped his head and quickly captured her lips.

It was that soft touch he had been yearning for the last month and it felt damn good. England moaned softly into the kiss when one of her hands trailed down his neck, the other tightening on his locks, and she kissed back.

To his disappointment, Julianne pulled away first, her face flushed and her chest heaving for air. She was embarrassed, he could see. Normally, she couldn't give two shits about how she looked as long as she was comfortable. It was rare to see her in a dress, a white one at that. His heart melted at the thought she did this for him.

"Guess you missed me too."

Julianne reached up to push back a stray lock but England beat her to it, tucking it behind her ear and taking that hand into his. It amazed him still, how her hand felt so soft and tiny in his.

"More than missed you, I'd say," he admitted hesitantly.

She grinned even wider, pulling out of his embrace. Julianne tugged on his hand.

"C'mon, lunch is ready. I made some of your favorites."


	16. A Helping Hand

"I got it. Just relax, Arthur," I insisted but my boyfriend would hear none of it. Gathering up the dishes I had in my hand, he went into the kitchen to dump them in the sink. He had told everyone that he wanted to be left alone today. I was a bit flattered he wanted to spend the day with me.

As the blonde set the dishes in the sink, I began to wash them. I didn't feel right making Arthur clean the dishes after his long trip. As I set the wet dishes aside to be dried, Arthur produced a white rag out of nowhere and began to dry the plates and cups. I was about to protest.

"It'll be faster this way," he stated in that tone that meant I was not going to win that conversation. I bit back my smile. Though I didn't want him to help, at the same time I was glad for the extra hand.


	17. A Kiss

Of course Arthur was right. We finished in no time. The blonde leaned against the island counter he had in the middle of the kitchen as I finished up the rest of the clean up. As soon as I was done, the blonde snatched me in mid walk back into his arms.

"Alright, who are you and what have you done with Arthur?" I teased softly.

"No idea what you're talking about, love."

I just smiled. I knew how special I was, being able to see this side of Arthur. Normally, he's just screaming and insulting people day in and day out. Rarely do people see this caring side of him. He brought up my hand, our fingers intertwined and kissed the back of it. Not that I don't like see this side of Arthur, I wonder what gotten into him?

"Juli?"

"Hmm?"

Arthur didn't say anything else but a deep look crossed his face. His grip tightened around my waist and I held onto his shoulders before I lost my balance.

"What is it Arthur?"

"What if…you…what if one day, you want to leave? Like America…"

"You're really comparing me to that ditz?"

"Julianne."

I sighed. This was what he was getting depressed over? Men. They don't change even if they are personified representations of countries.

"I'm not leaving, not unless you turn gay for France or something," I reassured him. He sputtered indignantly in protest.

"You sure about that?"

"Positive. Deal?"

"Yeah, deal."

I leaned up and sealed our promise with a kiss.


	18. A Movie

"Do I really?"

Arthur sounded hopeful. Hands reached up to straighten the black suit he wore. Tonight was a multi-cultural gala to promote peace and international dependence and unity and every nation was mandated to attend.

"Yep, just like the ever dashing James Bond, accent and all," I murmured, pulling his hands away from his tie. If he fiddled with it anymore, he was going to ruin it.

A small smirk crossed his lips.

"Then I believe you'd be my Bond girl then."

"How flattering."


	19. A Dance

"Would the mademoiselle care to dance?"

Julianne smiled politely, placing her hand on the Frenchman's much to England's dismay. The blonde scowled as his long time rival and enemy waltzed around the ballroom floor with his girlfriend, the Frenchman's hands wandering a bit too much for his comfort. He almost snorted into his champagne when Julianne purposely stepped on France's foot when his hand trailed a bit too low.

After an agonizing number, the song finally ended and Julianne reappeared by his side once more. She straightened her black strapless dress, accepting England's offer of his drink.

"Bloody frog."

"Did you want to dance too Arthur?"

"Of course not! Why the hell would anyone bloody – " he began to rant, only to trail off. I shrugged, accepting a glass of water from one of the servers.

"Ve~ Julia, come dance with me. It'll be fun!"

Julianne smiled. She always had a soft spot for the Italian.

"Sure."

Before he could take her hand. England slammed his drink on the table beside him and snatched Julianne's hand, dragging her to the dance floor. Like hell he was going to let another man put his hands on her. Julianne shot Italy an apologetic smile with a promise for a later dance. Inside, her stomach held in the butterflies that fluttered about.


	20. A Stare

"Do I have to?"

"Please?"

"Bloody hell Julianne. Where the hell did you find this?"

I shot Arthur a sly smile but didn't answer.

"Please Arthur? I think you'd look _dashing_," I added with a hopeful look.

With a frustrated sigh, he took the outfit from my hands and stormed into the nearby bathroom. I bit back a squeal.

He looked so…_hawt_.

Arthur crossed his arms in embarrassment but I continued to stare. Captain Jack Sparrow had _nothing_ on Arthur. My eyes swept over every inch of him, committing every image to memory.

"Oi Juli."

I bit my lip and raised my gaze. Arthur gave me a weird expression, as if trying to figure out what I was going to do. Too bad he couldn't figure it out before I pounced on him with full intention of ravaging him.


	21. A Smile

Arthur was telling me about his time during Russia. It was fun watching him make faces as he talked about how Francis would not stop hitting on Russian girls, how Alfred dragged him all over Moscow in search of a McDonald's, and how Russia was hell bent on killing him.

"Oh, before I forget," Arthur mumbled and began to search through his pockets, "Blimey, where the bloody hell did I put it?"

"You didn't have to get me anything Arthur."

He continued to search his jacket until he produced a small rectangular box. Arthur held it out awkwardly for me to take.

"Thanks."

I didn't bother taking my time to unwrap it since the blonde across from me was fidgeting so much. In my hands was a delicate nesting doll in the shape of a bear playing a flute. It was absolutely beautiful.

Setting the doll on the coffee table, I leaned over and dove into Arthur's arms. I pecked him softly on the lips.

"It's beautiful, Arthur. Thank you so much."

"R-Really? You like it?"

"Love it."

My heart stopped momentarily when Arthur smiled tenderly. It was rare to see him smile and even rarer to see him smile like that. I felt so honored.

"Love you."

"I-I love you t-too."


	22. A Chocolate Bar

Arthur had fallen asleep, probably tired from jetlag. I left him alone on the couch while I wandered into his kitchen for a quick snack. Even though I've been in his kitchen so many times, I still wasn't sure where everything was.

"Oh wow."

Snacks were piled haphazardly inside one of the cabinets. There were candy bars, chips, chocolate and other snacks. I humored the thought that he kept this little treasure trove just for me since I knew he didn't like sweets. One particular chocolate bar caught my eye.

"He remembered."

I pulled a bar of Lindt's dark chocolate from the cabinet. I couldn't believe that he remembered. Two weeks into dating the blonde Brit, he surprised me with a bar of chocolate, Lindt's in fact. It was the first gift he had ever given me and certainly not the last. Taking the bar with me, I took a seat right by Arthur on the ground and began to nibble on the delectable piece of chocolate.

How did I ever end up with such a wonderful person?


	23. A Napkin

"Here, let me get that for you," Arthur murmured. He used the napkin by his elbow and carefully wiped away the ice cream I had gotten on my cheek. I squirmed a bit.

"There we go."

"Thanks. Are you sure you don't any ice cream? My treat."

Arthur shook his head.

"I don't particularly fancy sweets."

"Your loss."

As I ate my ice cream, I was well aware of Arthur's eyes on me. But they didn't give me the chills. Instead, I felt warmth and security. Apart from our first few encounters, he had always treated me properly and was rarely out of line. The only times I ever saw him acting stupid in front of me was when he was intoxicated. Then he was just an idiot, rambling on about Francis and Alfred.

After I finished my ice cream, I leaned in for a quick kiss, coating his lips with a light trace of sweetness. I grinned when he licked his lips appreciatively. Maybe I would be able to turn him yet.


	24. A Hug

England was once again strained from the pressures of maintaining international relations with Japan, America, and France. His boss wanted him to branch out more but the ever tsundere England hated Russia and Germany.

He collapsed in his chair, just wanting the day to be over. He didn't even notice the light sound of footsteps approaching his chair.

"Bloody – " England cried out in alarm when arms suddenly draped over his shoulder. Julianne raised an eyebrow at her surprised boyfriend.

"Arthur, are you alright?"

"Yes yes, I'm fine. I just…didn't hear you come in."

Julianne stared at her boyfriend a bit more before walking around his chair, taking a seat right onto his lap. She snaked her arms around his neck once more before guiding his head to her chest. He embraced her whole heartedly and already felt the stress leaving his war torn body.

"Long day?"

"That's a bloody understatement."

"Poor baby."

England chuckled and breathed in her scent. A hug from his precious Julianne was exactly what he needed right now.


	25. A Sound

He always loved the sound of her voice, especially when she said his name.

"_Arthur_! Come on! Alfred's waiting for us!" Julianne shouted, grabbing a hold of her boyfriend's hand. The blonde snorted but let himself be dragged along by his excited girlfriend.

America had invited the both of them to one of his country's famous amusement parks and England had agreed since they both needed a vacation despite how short it would be.

"Arthur!"

The blonde snapped out of his thoughts and found Julianne stand rather close to him. Out of habit, he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Thanks for the vacation. I know you can't stand Alfred sometimes…but thanks."

She pecked him on the cheek and offered an apologetic smile.

"Let's go have some fun okay?"

She looked beautiful. Just the way she looked at him made his heart beat erratically. The sound of her voice was enough to throw all sense from his mind. He could only hope that this angel of his would never break his heart for he would not be able to take it.

Arthur smiled.

"Alright."


	26. A Statement

"Mom, stop it…no I'm not…Mom! You don't even know him!"

England sat helplessly in Julianne's living room whilst his girlfriend continued to argue with her mother over the phone. He had a hunch that he was the subject of their conversation.

"Will you stop? God, you're not even listening to me! I'm not – "

With a frustrated growl, his girlfriend threw her cell phone into the couch before collapsing beside it.

"Anything I can do to help?"

England took a seat beside Julianne, softly brushing her locks with his fingers.

"No no, my mother's just being irrational as always," Julianne confessed, "She wants me to end my "immature" relationship with you and settle down with a doctor or a lawyer."

His breath got caught in his throat. Would she leave him?

"And I told her to leave me alone and that I wasn't leaving the love of my life just because she doesn't approve."

England stared in shock at the statement Julianne just made. Yes, he had heard her tell him countless of times that she would not leave him, would not betray him like others had done before. But there was something different about hearing her admit to another person that she was committed to him.

He reached for her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"I love you."


	27. A Brush

The weather was lovely and Julianne took full advantage of the bright sun. In the end, England was dragged off to the beach. There, Julianne set up her towel upon the sand and prepared to tan after a quick dive into the cold waters of the beach.

She looked rather stunning, in that new black bikini of hers. A majority of her skin was exposed to the sun as well as to wandering eyes, the latter of which churned his stomach in an unpleasant way.

Unable to help himself, England brushed his fingers over Julianne's lower back. Said girlfriend smirked up at England as if she already knew the perverse thoughts looming in the blonde's head.

"Wanna rub some sunblock on my back?"

Arthur smirked back and quickly plucked the bottle from her hands.

"It'd be my pleasure, darling."


	28. A Game

"One more game, love."

Julianne frowned as England gloated haughtily.

"That's what you said the last 10 games, Arthur," she pointed out but the blonde was already moving the pieces back to their original position.

"C'mon, one more. Please?"

Julianne took one look at her boyfriend and decided it was best to play another game. He would not leave her alone until he was satisfied with his winnings. Besides, Julianne reckoned her dear boyfriend already lost his mind.

"Alright."


	29. A Note

Julianne remembered the first time England had told her he loved her. Given, he didn't actually tell her. It was in a note he had left by her bedside table.

_I Love You _

_~Arthur_

She had understood of course. England was never able to properly convey his feelings at the appropriate time. He had learned a little since then but he was still the same tsundere she had hated in the beginning and came to love.

Julianne reached across her bed, careful not to wake up her slumbering boyfriend and opened up the drawer in her bedside table. There, amidst all the other stuff she kept there, was a little blue post it note, the same one England had given to her.

She bet he'd be surprised if he found out she kept this little piece of paper over the last few months.


	30. A Letter

England had been cleaning out his work desk for it was cluttered with papers and it took him forever to even find anything. He came across a simple white envelope. The edges were worn down from time and from constantly being folded and unfolded.

A quick glance and England knew what it was. Inside was the first of five letters Julianne had written him. He had been temporarily assigned to Afghanistan for a few weeks when they had first started dating. Instead of just saying their goodbyes, he had bucked up a bit of courage and asked if she would write him while he was overseas. To his surprise, she wasn't put off by his request. Instead, she gladly accepted his request. England could still remember his excitement when one of his soldiers had told him he had gotten a letter from home. It warmed his heart still.

England knew then that she was someone he wanted to keep in his life.


	31. A Paper Airplane

It was another regular day as England began sorting out documents for his boss. Julianne had come over after work to keep him company. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his girlfriend taking a spare piece of paper and scribbled something on it.

"Sir, here are the files you were looking for," a soldier said, handing over a couple of folders. England muttered a thanks before resuming his work.

He only managed to concentrate for a few more minutes before something poked his head. A paper airplane fluttered to its demise on top of his other papers. The blonde sent a look towards Julianne but she was pretending to look out the window.

Scribbles caught his eye. On the flaps were the words "Open Me." Curious, the blonde did so and returned the piece of paper to its original form.

_Arthur,_

_You are the light to my darkness,_

_the other half of my heart,_

_my soul mate._

_I can't imagine my life without you in it_

_and I certainly don't want to either._

_I love you with all my heart._

_Marry me?_

England stared at the piece of paper, well aware of her eyes on him now. Honestly, he had to reread her proposal a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Isn't…isn't the guy supposed to propose?"

"I guess."

Her face was flushed with embarrassment and he was sure he was as well. England rose from his seat on the couch and sat himself on the armrest of Julianne's chair.

"Are you even doing this properly? You haven't even presented me with a ring yet."

"You haven't said yes yet Arthur darling," she countered.

The blonde chuckled and took a hold of her hand. She always wore rings on her hand so he stealthily twisted the plainest looking ring that her fingers held. With a smirk, he slid the ring onto the only finger it would fit, his pinky finger.

"I would be honored to be your husband, _darling_," Arthur answered, kissing Julianne softly on the lips. She smiled brightly, pulling him by his tie for another kiss. Life could not be any better, Julianne mused.


End file.
